Bluetooth 5 debuts next week

An update to Bluetooth, version 5.0, will debut next week.

The update will double the range and quadruple the speed of low energy Bluetooth transmissions, which should mean an increase to 200m and four megabits per second respectively, and about one megabit per second available to applications.

Bluetooth SIG executive director Mark Powell also says the revision will also “... provide significant new functionality for connectionless services like location-relevant information and navigation. By adding significantly more capacity to advertising transmissions, Bluetooth 5 will further propel the adoption and deployment of beacons and location-based services to users around the world.” ®